Peace Montessori

Recommends

D z.

Joined 17 days ago

Allow us to share our family's journey at Peace Montessori in Apex, NC ..... a journey worth every moment.

Peace Montessori was a discovery my wife made making phone calls looking for a suitable pre-school for our 2&1/2 year old son. We would like to congratulate ourselves as parents that our selection of Peace Montessori was a carefully thought out process. But it was actually a remarkably happy accident. Almost 9 years later and now graduating from the school's Upper Elementary class, he is heading to Durham Academy's 6th grade middle school class.

Our son's path from initial developmental concerns to eventual academic excellence in all subjects, honed social interaction and peer friendships, and now acceptance into a widely respected middle school of his own choice is not only a testament to his own diligence and hard work, but undoubtedly is also due to the remarkable, caring faculty and staff at Peace Montessori. At Peace, we've had the good fortune to entrust his journey to superb teachers - skilled guides every step of the way ("They're gems" to quote another parent's recent comment, and she's spot on). Regular communication, honest and clear appraisal of progress and challenges, and caring, thoughtful visions of each student's potential is the daily recipe at this school.

There is no stifling 'teaching to a test' here - there is a wealth of discoveries driven by each child's initiative - often going beyond the classroom with field trips, physical education opportunities, and additional teachers for enhanced studies (spanish, yoga, music, you name it).

We had no idea how fruitful and rewarding our experience would be at this place when we started. We easily got more than our money's worth by paying the monthly tuition for our kid to go to this school. We now have a son who is well prepared for life's next steps and challenges in so many ways. The experience has been worth every penny and every moment .... and then some.

Inga B.

Joined 6 months ago

My youngest child has been at Peace Montessori for 6 years. We started there as my oldest child was struggling in public school and both of my children are dyslexic. Next to homeschooling, the International Dyslexic Association highly recommended Montessori as the next best thing. I started researching Montessori and how it is different from public school. I then searched out many Montessori schools in the area. What brought me to Peace is the smaller class size as well as the fact they I feel they are the most true to Montessori than the others.

I love that Montessori supports the child in all ways. Allows the child to be where they are and not forced into a group. If my 3rd grade child is reading at a 6th grade level, it’s supported. If my 4th grade child is doing math on a 6th grade level, it’s supported.

Due to the small class sizes, the teachers know where a child is in their development, what they are currently working on and what’s coming up next. Unlike public school where the child is evaluated on 1 day out of the quarter, the teacher can tell you on any given day what and how your child is doing. My children love Peace Montessori. It’s the only school that they get upset to be away on break. They love their friends and their teachers.

Recommends

willandjacksmom

Joined 3 years ago

Peace Montessori is an exceptional school! We have already put our older son through the 3-5-yr old program at Peace, he was there for 2 & ½ years, & he is flourishing in 1st grade now. When he entered Kindergarten last year, he was reading 2 grade levels above his peers, and his understanding of math & science concepts far surpassed his public school classmates. And not only did he start elementary school w/ a leg up in academics because of the fantastic start he got in preschool at Peace, he also displayed superior self-control & a consistent ability to follow directions & be a positive role model for others. Our younger son is currently in his 2nd year at Peace in the 3-5-yr old program, also having an absolutely wonderful experience! He is totally different in personality from our older son, which makes my recommendation of Peace Montessori's preschool environment even more powerful in my opinion. I say this because we enrolled 2 completely different children w/ varying strengths & weaknesses, & these talented teachers used their nurturing instincts, kind hearts, & deep understanding of Montessori education to help guide each child toward developing his own individual intrinsic motivation for learning, & have thus fostered w/in each child a real sense of personal responsibility & a confidence to be self-sufficient that we were absolutely amazed to watch evolve, particularly w/ our younger, more spirited child. It seems to us that the kind of child-centered education our boys have received at Peace has taught them how to be life-long learners, & more importantly, taught them the true joy of learning! Peace is a truly authentic Montessori school, not a typical play-based preschool program, or even a hybrid of the 2. It is multi-age, as a genuine Montessori program ought to be, w/ 3-6-year olds together in 1 class. The younger ones benefit from observing the older children, the older children act as mentors & leaders, & the kids can really develop at their own pace because the classroom has materials appropriate for 3-yr olds all the way up to 7-yr olds. There's a very deliberate selection of Montessori activities in our son's classroom; not the typical Legos-blocks-trucks toys we have at home, & it's clear the kids love to engage w/ them over & over again. By working w/ these materials, our boys have learned certain skills we can't imagine having found a way to explicitly teach them, at home or anywhere else - such as careful observation, hand strength, the ability to distinguish musical tones, the shapes of letters, counting, etc. All the materials build sequentially, enabling the children to progress from one to the next as their abilities evolve; & they're self-correcting, so the kids can work independently of the teachers & learn to problem-solve on their own. This has been a huge plus for our 2nd son specifically! He tends to get super frustrated very easily w/ even the simplest things, but the frequency & intensity of his impatient outbursts has decreased dramatically & incrementally over the last year & ½ that he's been at Peace. The angelic patience his teachers have shown him, along w/ the problem-solving skills he's picked up through his exploration during free work time, have undoubtedly given him the tools he needs to function more calmly & confidently throughout his daily life. All in all, putting both our children in Peace Montessori for preschool was the best decision we ever made!!

Jennifer T.

Joined 6 months ago

After touring several Montessori schools in the Durham and Raleigh areas, my husband and I enrolled our 20 month old daughter in the Toddler Room at Peace Montessori. From the first time we met Ms. D and Ms. A we knew this was the perfect fit for our daughter. Since she had never been in a day care setting or away from us for an extended period of time, I was afraid she would have a hard time transitioning to the environment; however because the teachers were so knowledgeable and caring, she was comfortable within the first week. The teachers were patient and encouraging not only to her, but to us as well. I couldn't believe the growth in her communication skills and the confidence she had in herself. She was excited to go to school everyday and was always proud to show us her works. We even enrolled her in the 4 weeks of camps that Peace offered during the summer. She loved going to these as well. While at Peace she was guided to learn in a peaceful and caring environment. We can't say enough about how happy we were to be able to give our daughter the opportunity to attend a school whose entire staff cares so passionately about the children and their well being.

Recommends

Jackie S.

Joined 6 months ago

We went to an Open House at Peace Montessori before my daughter started 2nd grade, but ultimately decided to put her in the local public school. By the middle of 4th grade that was not working out for her, and I remembered how much we liked the Montessori program, and Peace Montessori in particular. We brought her to the school for a day to try it out – and we were all immediately ready to switch! She started right after winter break that year (two years ago) and we have been happy with that decision every day since then. I only wish we had moved her sooner. We have been impressed with the quality of the teachers, the overall education she is getting, the numerous field trips (which enhance their learning tremendously!), and the warm, friendly atmosphere at Peace Montessori.

Specifically, I like the small class size and teacher/student ratio, the weekly class meetings where students are able to talk about interpersonal and social issues in a calm, clear way, and the time management, personal responsibility, and life skills they learn everyday. It’s been great getting to know the other students in her class and their parents, and I feel that we have all made lifelong friends. Also, it is a real comfort and advantage having the same teacher for 3-year periods, as well as a curriculum which spans that time period. Each child is able to move at his/her individual pace and learn in the best way for them.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that enrolling our daughter at Peace was the single best decision we have made for her education – both in the classroom and in life.

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Heather C.

Joined 1 year ago

Extremely positive educational experience. We decided to send my four year old son to a montessori school last year when he was getting into trouble for not wanting to sit in his chair for extended periods of time in his traditional preschool. I looked at several Montessori Schools in the Apex/Cary/Ral area and was most impressed with the staff at Peace. After the first week of school my son started doing math out loud in the back of the car while we were driving home from the grocery store. My husband and I also notice that he seemed calmer at home and he starting asking all of these really intelegent

questions like 'what does melting mean?'. We decided to

send our 3yr old to Peace for two days a week this year as well and I was really nervouse because he was struggling

with seperation anxiety. Not only does my three year old

love going to school but he actually gets upset when I tell

him it is not a school day on his days off from school. Also

my older son used to hate to go to school when he was at

his traditional prechool and now at Peace he keeps asking when he can stay for extended day. I am very impressed

with how Peace has made learning such a wonderfully positve experience!

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hsandreuter

Joined 2 years ago

Highly accomplished, nurturing Montessori school. My husband and I have been thrilled with our daughter's growth at Peace Montessori. After driving a long distance the previious two years to the area's most expensive Montessori school, we are seeing even more impressive results and spending 40% less. With a wonderfully experienced,, caring and stable team of teachers, Peace offers a truly excellent Montessori education, with greater flexibility in schedules, and such nice extras: Spanish, yoga, nature education. Our daughter adores her teachers -- wanted to invite them over for a recent "playdate" -- and we love hearing her imitate the patient and tender voices the teachers use when working with the children. We have been thoroughly delighted with our experiences at Peace Montessori.

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Varley

Joined 2 years ago

We love this school!. We love this school. We have 2 daughters there and they both love it. It is structured yet self-directed and the staff are wonderful. I cannot imagine the kinds of issues described in the earlier review--so much so that I wonder if she was writing about the same school. I cannot recommend this school highly enough. For a private school, it is very diverse and welcoming. They are small, so have rules that may seem inflexible for people used to "daycare" settings, but they are there to make the school run effectively and they do just that.

Doesn't Recommend

MarySco

Joined 3 years ago

Unsupervised care--check for other preschools. too had a previous experience with this school where our child was left outside unsupervised. The school is well aware of this and I have many documented emails from the school confirming this. Additionally, we did not find this school to welcome diversity. Very disappointed.

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EriaMarat

Joined 3 years ago

I've had at least one kid here since it opened!!. That should say it all... why would anyone stay at preschool they were unhappy with? It was a wonderful start for 4 of my 5 children.. and the only reason the fifth one didn't go there is because it wasn't open when he was a preschooler. My kids were (and are) always safe and happy there. The well-trained staff are caring individuals, and they can meet the needs of all kinds of students, from the totally typical to highly gifted to kids with mild physical or developmental disabilities. Peace students learn to become organized, courteous, self-regulating and independent . In my experience, kids from Peace also transition well to public and parochial schools.